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Project title

Characterisation of Reference Conditions and Testing of Typology of Rivers

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

Mary Kelly-Quinn

Project Abstract

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Council of the European Communities 2000) requires Member States to measure the ecological status of surface waters by comparison of monitoring sites with unimpacted reference conditions specific to that river or lake type. Reference conditions must be of high ecological status and thus show i?no or only very minor evidence of distortioni? (Council of the European Communities 2000). Ecological status for biological quality elements is to be a measure of i?changes in the composition and abundancei? of different taxonomic groups.The RIVTYPE project addressed the development of reference conditions and a typology for rivers within the Republic of Ireland (part of Ecoregion 17). The specific objectives were:1. to describe the composition and abundance of the macroinvertebrate macrophyte and phytobenthos communities of 50 potential reference river sites which were designated by the EPA.2. to verify that these sites are of high biological chemical and hydromorphological status and thereby could be used as reference conditions. 3. to determine and validate a river typology. River types should have distinct biological communities and a range of environmental variables which would be expected under unimpacted conditions.

Grant Approved

�334,368.39

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

Improve our Knowledge on the State of our Water Resources and Pressures

Start Date

n/a

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a